Hatching Freedom
by Pageturner94
Summary: Selena had always been presumed dead, but what if she had just simply left Alagaësia? 17 years later, she takes it upon herself to intervene in her sons' war… by sending a group of inexperienced teens to act as peacekeepers.POV of a new rider! Please R&R!
1. Stupefied by Stones

_**Prologue: **_

I am going to tell you a story.

It is not a fairytale, so don't be fooled into thinking that it is one. There isn't any "Once upon a time" or "happily ever after", no matter how much I may wish that there were. However, don't close this book in the hopes of avoiding despair, for this isn't a tragedy either. Let's face it; nobody lives happily ever after, even if they have found that they are relatively happy, post- experience. There will always be conflict, because that is just how the world works.

I have told you what this story _isn't_ about, so now I will tell you what it _is_ about:

This is a story about change, and how my friends and I dealt with it while it was happening. It is about heartbreak, miracles and hope. But most of all, it is a story about freedom.

Do with this information what you will.

_**Chapter 1- Stupefied by Stones**_

Snap!

"Arg! _What did my elastics ever do to you_," Ailith exclaimed with hushed exasperation from behind me. I felt the rough tug of the brush as she struggled to position my hair back into place. "Now I have to start over again! Give me another elastic would ya." Not bothering to wait for my response, she reached around and plucked an elastic from my hand and returned to her braiding.

I sat obediently and waited while she wrestled with my hair. Not a minute passed before another snap sounded, followed by Ailith's frustrated howl. I heard her hissing death threats toward my defiant hair.

"Your elastics are too flimsy," I stated in a hurry, trying to prevent another repeated round of "Braid n' Swear".

"No, _you_ just have too much hair."

"_Which is why you should have gotten thicker elastics_." I said, suppressing a smile. Ailith was amazing with sneaking around, but she wasn't bothered with quality. My smile faded quickly though, as I remembered how close it came last night. I turned on my butt so that I was facing her and was surprised to see a vulnerable expression on her slim face. I was instantly contrite.

Ailith sighed. " I'm sorry okay? It was just so dark and you _know_ what the Uppers do when they catch someone stealing. I had to get out of there as soon as possible." By Uppers, she meant the Upper-class townspeople that lived at the top of the Mesa; a steep hill that flattens out on top. It's surrounded by a trench that the poorer citizens, such as Ailith's family, and mine, were forced to live in after a large number of immigrants took refuge here. No one knows why they came, but they were in such a bad condition when they arrived, that we just assumed that they were runaways.

So now we live in a trench. Since it's always muddy, floods when it rains and a large number of the residents are caked in dirt, we officially christened it the Sinkhole.

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have criticized. Don't worry about it, 'kay?" I hurriedly changed the subject, hoping it would cheer her up. "Hey, just out of curiosity, what else did you manage to grab?"

It worked. A sly smile stretched across her face and she wagged her eyebrows. "I got us some breakfast!"

My mood brightened also. Those three words alone seemed to be enough to erase all the fatigue from my limbs. I propped myself up by pressing my hand against the cold wood floor. I straightened my back and stretched the muscles in my neck. When we had a fruitful night, and came home with a full bag, we would usually hide out for a while to avoid suspicion, and since Ailith's house was an automatic forgo, she was staying at mine. Unfortunately, both of us had stayed up all night, leaving both our bodies hurting and our nerves split.

At the promise of breakfast, we helped each other up and took a minute to shake out our heavy limbs. My back ached steadily, but I ignored it. Ailith and I bounded to the kitchen, which was a simple and extremely small room with a counter in the centre, a wash bin on the left and some cupboards lining the far wall.

My house itself was more the size of a small sized shed. It was only one floor and all the rooms were cramped together in a 30' X 30' space. The kitchen and living area took up most of the house. The walls were plain because we couldn't afford any kind of lavish decorations.

"So, what've we got," I asked, excitement and curiosity getting the better of me. Breakfast was a truly rare occasion.

"Well," drawled Ailith mischievously, trying to create some suspense. As if there wasn't enough already. She continued on in the slowest possible manner. "I, being of sharp reflexes and of even sharper mind, have stolen, solely out of the generosity of my heart and the stickiness of my fingers, a gorgeous breakfast, consisting of only the finest spoils in all of the shining town of Sinkhole - "

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're a genius; we should all drop to our knees in worship… blah, blah, blah. Seriously, Ailith! I'm dying here! Just get _on_ with it!"

Just then I heard a floorboard squeak and looked to the hall on my right. _Dune must be just getting up_, I thought. Sure enough, his small form emerged from the hall and, once he caught sight of me, beamed his trademarked tooth-gaping smile.

"Hey Kiara," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Good morning, Dune. You're just in time! Ailith is just about to reveal the breakfast that she _claims_ will be the best thing that we will ever taste." I looked over at Ailith with a sarcastic smile.

She stuck her tongue out at me.

Abandoning all hope of getting my hair braided, I ended up just pulling the long, dark tresses back into a loose ponytail. The reason for the loose ponytail was mainly due to the fact that the elastic wouldn't go around my hair the third time. For breakfast, we had eggs and bread, something that, despite Ailith's opinions to the contrary, wasn't the most tasteful since the eggs were rubbery, and the bread was stale. We wouldn't dare complain though, because we had it better than most. We had a knack for trading. This skill had saved our lives more than once, and when it failed to do so, we also had a super weapon: Ailith's knack for stealing. As much as I hated it, it wasn't like there was a choice.

Ailith was indifferent about it. She had no sympathy for the Uppers. She took whatever she could and rubbed it in their faces, something that always bothered me about her. I remembered when I first met her.

_A small sized girl with curly blond hair, a face with slim features and big brown eyes. She was running towards me, her arms wrapped around a carton of milk. I watched as two men ran after her, followed by who I guessed was the girl's mother. All four of them wore the same desperate expression, though the mother was more angry than anything. _

I had always been somewhat of a martyr, and that day had been no different. I kindly paid for the milk, and sat there while Ailith's mother apologized to the shopkeeper and droned on about what an unruly daughter she had. That moment, I had looked over and saw Ailith watching her mother with sad, liquid brown eyes. Ever since then, Ailith has purposely made a point of stealing, and went out of her way to make sure her mother knew about it. I had never figured out why she would want to prove her mother right.

I also let her stay at my house whenever she wanted to on the count of her rough relationship with her family.

After consuming all the breakfast that I could manage without insulting Ailith, I dragged myself to the bathroom. It was a small room, (surprise!) and lacked the space necessary to do anything else other than stand in one spot and stare at a dusty mirror. It was mounted so close that I had to go cross-eyed to see my reflection.

The girl in the mirror looked young for her age, far too young to wear the serious expression that she did. Her face was round, and her skin was cast in a silvery pale, save the pink hue of her cheeks and lips. Her dark hair was back in a messy ponytail, with the exception of a few stray strands of hair that sprawled around her face. She would have looked completely unremarkable if it hadn't been for her sharp green eyes, which implied a strange nobility hiding beneath.

_If only I could find that and bring it out. Then people would listen to what I have to say…_

I shook myself internally at the sheer idiocy of that thought and continued on with my morning routine, doing my best to avoid the accusing eyes of the girl in the mirror.

The vendors were just opening their shops when we arrived at the Mesa. It had taken a good half hour to climb the steep path that wound around the hillside, mostly because we were preoccupied with rubbing the sleep from our eyelids. Ailith and I had decided that it was high time to take Dune on an outing. He hadn't left the house for almost two weeks, a fault on my part since I had forgotten it was summer vacation and that he didn't have to go to school. I haven't gone to school since my parents…left, neither has my older brother, Brendan, who now practically lives at his job.

The sun rose while we were climbing and now painted the sky a beautiful gold, illuminating the town and dancing off the store's rooftops. It submerged the whole Mesa in a wash of brilliant light.

Ailith and I had wore our most fancy gowns. It wasn't that we wanted to blend in - most of the Uppers had colourful, layered gowns in rich materials - we just wanted to look a little less filthy then we usually did. My attire consisted of a plain brown slip that I wore on top of a dull, green long-sleeved shirt. I didn't bother switching my worn leather boots since they were invisible under the dress's length anyways.

I had a hunch that Ailith stole hers from a middle class household; it was more elaborate than mine. A pale yellow in colour, her garment had sleeves and an embroidered belt.

Dune wore a tan tunic and green leggings.

_I really hope that it won't be as hot as yesterday,_ I mused. _We'll all be sweating under this stuff. How do the Uppers stand it?_

"Were do we want to go first," I consulted Dune.

He glanced down the long streetof storefronts, looking lost. "Uh, how about over there," he asked in an unsure voice, pointing to the left of the road. Ailith and I had to squint into the sun to see were he was pointing. As soon as I saw the shop - it's face adorned with shining crystals, gems and a sign declaring it "Earth Treasures" - I gasped.

"Don't even think about it Ailith, it's in pure daylight and the owner has a - "

Ailith grinned, "Too late!" Then, before I could say anything more, she ruffled Dunes hair and crooned, "He's learning from the best this one is! Come on Dune, you can be apprentice robber."

She took Dune's arm and raced to the vault of riches.

With a groan, I followed after her.

When we reached the doorway, the door swung opened and out bristled a swollen upper-class man. He blocked our entrance and said in a loud, peed-off voice, "What are you peasants going in there for?" His breath reeked of garlic. "If I can't afford nothing in that shop, then I highly doubt that any of yous can, unless you don't come in here in the hopes to _buy_, if you know what I mean." His pinholes for eyes blazed down on us as he chortled mockingly. His watermelon of a belly shook unpleasantly. Suddenly a male voice roared from the shop.

"Reynard, this is the last straw! You have _no_ right to come in here and demand half price for such valuable items, and you have _no_ right to harass my customers! Come back when you've gained a _shred_ of respect!" There was the sound of a sword being pulled from its sheath.

Reynard practically ran us over to get away.

"_Okay, then_," whistled Ailith, rocking back on her toes. I glared at her and cautioned her that I knew the shopkeeper and that, yes, he did indeed have a sword.

"I promise to be good," she pleaded. Her eyes were so earnest that I decided to let her by, but I remembered how eager she was only a few seconds ago and forced my suspicious gaze to follow her movements. I let Dune go next and then submerged myself into a world of sparkling gems.

As we weaved up and down the aisles, I couldn't get myself to understand how there can be so much beauty that exists below all the layers of dirt. I had never seen such a collection of rocks, nor did I ever before have reason to believe that rocks could be _so pretty. _The shop walls were neutral beige, and there wasn't much there in the form of interior decorating, but that didn't prevent the store from shining with its rows and rows of fossils, crystals, and stones. I was star struck. I could tell from Ailith and Dune's twin expressions of awe that they were just as impressed.

"See anything you like," inquired the balding man with sparkling blue eyes from behind the counter. I smiled at him in greeting.

"Yes, but unfortunately nothing that we can afford," I said ruefully. My eyes flickered to Ailith on there own accord. She wasn't paying attention to the conversation, but instead her eyes shone from the reflection of the palm-sized blue crystal she was stroking.

The shopkeeper, his name was Alistair, noticed her preoccupation as well. He chuckled and waved away my concern. "As long as she puts it back when you leave. I'm happy that you three appreciate my business, not everyone is pleased about it right now. Says it's a 'waste of a perfectly good building'."

Dune appeared from behind a shelf, holding a piece of silver ore. "Look Kiara! Isn't it pretty," he whispered, holding it out to me. And it was! It was almost a perfect oval, lustrous and smooth. It caught the sunlight and threw reflections on the ceiling rafters. I smiled down at him, immensely glad that he was having fun.

"How much is this one," he asked Alistair, holding the silver up to the counter. Alistair carefully extracted the ore from Dune's figures and rolled it around in his hands. He turned his back to us and placed it on a scale, which was located on another counter behind him.

"This one's worth at least 20 coins," he said, eying the silver with a loving expression. I held my tongue, remembering the whole scene with Reynard, but my mind was screaming.

_Twenty coins! I know we don't know much about currency, but still, that's more money than I've ever seen in my life!_

Alistair continued on in a smooth voice, "But, taking into consideration that almost everyone that's ever walked in here is under the impression that I charge too much, I will part with it for 10 coins." I sighed in relief, not for myself, but for the sake of the future of Alistair's business. It was obvious that he loved what he did, and it would be heartbreaking if he never made a sale.

Dune's reaction, however, was different. His eyes turned down and he appeared horribly distraught. "Sorry, Alistair," he murmured. "But we can't afford that either." The shopkeeper's eyes softened in response and he bent down over the counter so that he was closer to Dune.

"Here boy," he announced, fitting a small sack into Dune's hand. "This is stardust, it will bring you luck." Then he straightened and turned to Ailith and I, fixing us with a stern expression. "Now," he rumbled in a firmer tone. "You girls make sure that he doesn't make a habit out of guilty unsuspecting shopkeepers like that. Else every store on the Mesa will be run out of their stock." I thought I saw him wink.

"Thank you sir," expressed Ailith, surprising me. She gave him a small smile, and not one of those fake smiles she used to use on other shopkeepers. This was a real, genuine smile, one that made me proud and so happy that she was my best friend.

"Oh, and one more thing," he interjected. "You should take him to the Memorial down in the centre of the square. There's a piece of ore there that the villagers call 'the Hope of the Mesa', almost exactly like the silver that the boy picked up, but bigger." He grinned and illustrated the size with his hands. "'Bout as big as your head and perfectly smooth. Some loons think that it was crafted by angels," he guffawed and with a final wave goodbye he retreated back behind his counter, officially dismissing us.

When we had all pilled out of the shop, we asked a passing Upper for directions to the Memorial, and he kindly pointed us in the right direction. He even wished us a good morning.

"See," I whispered to Ailith. "They aren't _all that_ bad."

"He was an exception," she stated curtly.

"I'm sure you can find a whole lot more exceptions if you just give them a chance."

"Why should I," she exploded suddenly. "_They_ never gave us a chance, now did they?" Ailith's voice shook with emotion. I tried to pat her on the back in comfort, but she shook it off. " How can they expect us _not_ to steal, or _not_ to die of starvation, or to _not_ be filthy beggars, if they never _gave _us a _chance_ to _prove ourselves otherwise_?"

That sentence effectively killed all conversation instantly.

I lowered my eyes in shame and trudged through the street. Poor Dune didn't understand our silence and made a few unsuccessful attempts to get us to talk again. Eventually, he gave up on getting answers out of us and continued to blurt out sentences that only seemed to make sense to him.

"Did you ever wonder how the Mesa ended up being flat on top, huh? I think it was because before we came and started living here, it was a huge mountain! And then one day a giant meteor ran right through it, cutting off the top of it and leaving it flat. Do you think that could have happened?

Hey, I heard you talking to the shopkeeper about the Memorial. That place is really cool! I went there on a field trip one day and it was so big and ancient and powerful! Did you know that Selena is a guard there? Yeah, she looks after the artefacts there, and she knows so much about everything! Maybe she will be working today and she can tell us a story. She tells really good stories! One day, she told me about how she got here, and that she had to survive a long journey through the mountains and almost died of starvation! She said she left her home because there was a war! And that she had to leave her family behind, and she almost died of heartbreak. Hey, how many times do you think that Selena has almost died?"

The morning air had turned from cool and crisp to hot and humid in the short time that it took to reach the Memorial. I was glad that we didn't have to climb anything to get there, but our heavy clothes were enough to make us sweat. It had taken many twists and turns through various side streets to navigate our way to the centre of the Mesa, and luckily we were submerged in shade for the most part. But as we stepped out into the curved terrace that encircled the Memorial, the sun hit us with its full force.

The Memorial actually looked like the ruins of an old building. It appeared to once be a large round room, it's crumbling, moss covered stone walls protruded out of the ground and then stopped at irregular heights around the circle. Set up around the inside of the corroding walls were intriguing fragments of the past. Statues of powerful looking people, a rusty suit of armour, dirt covered documents, beautiful paintings and strange tools. In the centre of the relic, mounted on a slim, marble pedestal – which was engraved with beautiful, swirling patterns set into it's smooth face - was what we had came here for; The Hope of the Mesa.

If I was awestruck by the rocks in the store, I was completely blown away by this one. Alistair had not lied; it was huge! The Hope was also unbelievably polished. The sun's presence on this day seemed only for the purpose of reflecting off this stone. The glare made the ore extremely hard to look at, but yet, I couldn't look away. It was a perfect oval, so smooth that for a second I believed that it _was_ crafted by a divine power. In fact, it's contours were so fluid and unbroken that it shone with a liquid grace next to impossible to imagine that it was solely created by nature.

The three of us stood there ogling like idiots.


	2. Overreaction

Chapter 2 – Overreaction 

Since I didn't want to ruin the rest of our day, I made myself talk in a stream of upbeat chatter, mostly for Dune's sake. I could tell that Ailith wasn't the most thrilled with this idea, but at least she kept up the pretence. Dune seemed reasonably satisfied with this though, as evidenced by his relieved smile.

We had attempted to start our route at the left of the Memorial, and work our way towards the right. However, it was hard to ignore the pull of the Hope, and my gaze unconsciously kept wandering in it's direction. I couldn't concentrate on the histories of the artefacts that Dune was trying to explain to us, and, despite my best efforts, Ailith had detected my distraction.

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

I pulled my stubborn eyes back to her. She was looking at me with a mixed expression. It was somewhat calculated, but also worried. "Did you notice the sentinels? They've been patrolling the grounds near the Memorial."

"No," I answered, confused. "I haven't. Why do you ask?"

"Because _they've_ noticed _you_. They have been coming closer every time you look at that thing."

On an impulse, I looked over my shoulder and briefly meet the glare of a tall, blonde and intimidating man. He was wearing an armoured purple uniform with golden shoulder plates. Attached to his belt was a long sword.

It glistened menacingly in the sunlight.

"Don't look at him," hissed Ailith. "And don't look at the silver stone."

"What's going on here," I whispered back to her, not really expecting an answer. "This is a public place! We're allowed to be here and if we want to look at a piece of ore, then I don't see a problem with that!"

"Neither do I, " cut in a smooth and commanding; yet strangely comforting voice. I recognized it instantly. I looked behind me again. There stood a middle-aged woman with salt and pepper hair, her strong face subtly creased from weathering the tough times she had endured. She had piercing ice blue eyes that held mine prisoner in their power. She was smiling in recognition.

"Selena," cried Dune, rushing up to her and giving her a huge bear hug. She chuckled and stroked his dark hair.

"Oh, it's so good to see you Dune," she beamed. "And look how tall you are!" She lifted Dune's arm and weighed it in her hand. "But you've gotten so _skinny _since I've seen you last!" Her expression became concerned, "have you're siblings been feeding you?"

Dune's chin rose defiantly. "Kiara does her best, Selena. And so does Brandon! It's not their fault! Plus, I can feed myself, thank you very much." Selena chuckled and looked up from Dune's pouting face and into my smiling one.

"Well, hey there pretty young lady," She opened her arms in invitation. I rolled my eyes and gave her a bear hug of my own. "Tell me about this problem you're having? The guards?"

"Yes. There're very scary," I mumbled in the best kiddie voice I could manage. "Make the mean people go away, Selena." My lips were in full pout mode as I copied Dune's sulking expression.

"Oh, grow up, silly girl." I laughed and straightened my back, illustrating that I was now a grown up. I sensed Ailith's discomfort from behind me and decided it was time for introductions. I backed up so that she was now included in our circle of conversation.

"Ailith, this," I proclaimed with a smile. "is Selena. She was my mom's best friend before she left and is practically apart of the family. I haven't seen her in a while though," I admitted.

"Only because the timing wasn't right. I've tried coming down to the trench but apparently the guards need all the help they can get. I've been working non-stop!"

"Told yeah she was a guard," Dune said, smug.

"Okay, and Selena, this is my best friend, Ailith." Selena smiled warmly at her and shook her hand.

"Well meet, Ailith"

"Nice to meet you too, Selena." Ailith seemed a little nervous. Everybody was when they first met Selena. She was just so powerful and wise, but at the same time, she looked too young and gorgeous for such wisdom.

"So," Selena inquired with a more serious expression. "What has got these guards so worked up? Would you care to tell me? We can go to my house for some tea." We all nodded in unison; tea sounded extremely good. But first…

"Wait," I pleaded, desperately. "Please, before we leave. Can I touch it?" It was such a silly and childlike impulse, but it consumed everything. I. Had. To. Touch. It.

Ailith and Dune gave me their best "Are you going crazy?" looks, but Selena just nodded. Her expression was hard to read.

"Interesting," amended Selena before calling off the guards. We advanced toward the marble pillar. The guards retreated reluctantly only after throwing dagger-like glares in my direction. It was hard to believe how protective they were. I mean, it was only a piece of silver, right?

But as I got closer and closer, I felt the Hope's pull, and I couldn't blame them for their tenaciousness. It was like a magnetic force that emanated from the stone and goaded me forward. I glanced at the others for their reactions. They only looked at it with a curious expression, totally different from the ravenous one that I was sure showed on my face. Ailith looked worried.

I walked right up to the stone, my gate was not so different from the one of a mindless zombie. It was now at eye level. My hand reached for it, as if I didn't control it, and stroked the top of the oval. I thought that I felt it hum happily beneath my fingers. _Strange. Stones don't hum_.

Then, everything changed. The humming altogether ceased and the silence almost hurt my ears. I dropped my hand as if it had electrocuted me. I looked around, feeling foolish.

"Okay," I choked out, my face reddening. "Let's go." My eyes stung and humiliation coursed through my veins. I felt strangely rejected as I ran away from the Memorial, not bothering to wait for the others.

They found me in a shadowed side street. I was curled in on myself and my face was in my hands.

The reproachful faces of the guards- watching me as I ran - flashed through my mind. I'm sure they hated me.

"Oh, you proud fool," I reproached myself, with bitter amusement. I laughed mockingly. I heard footsteps approaching, but I ignored them and continued to punish myself for my bizarre reactions. I felt too horrible about running away to face them now.

"If you think that you are a fool, then you _must_ be going crazy," I heard Ailith's voice beside me. A hand stroked my hair.

"Or a proud one at that! If anything you are the too humble," infringed Selena. "A humble girl who beats herself up for not living up to other's expectations." Her voice was chiding, but not unkind. I've always liked that about her, but at that moment, it made me feel worse. _I've disappointed Selena now too! _

"Kiara, we love you," whispered Dune. I looked up from my arm and noticed that his eyes were red. He always cried when he saw me unhappy. Touched, I took his outstretched hand and smiled pathetically at him.

_What's wrong with me today? _

_

* * *

_

Selena's house was amazing! She leaded us through the maze of side streets that was the Mesa and right to a beautiful log house. I wasn't sure if we could get any farther from the Sinkhole, since this house sat almost on the edge of the Mesa, exactly opposite from the entrance to the trench. It had a wrap around wooden porch and more windows than all of the houses in Sinkhole combined. A colourful garden and perfectly trimmed shrubberies also framed the house. The first thing that popped out of my mouth was a very exasperated:

"How much money do you _have_?"

"After building this? Not a lot," she laughed. "That's why I've been working so much lately. Come on in." She headed up the steps, crossed the porch and opened the door for us. We trailed behind her.

The way the house was decorated gave out a very calm and clean vibe. The walls were a creamy yellow with white trim around the doorframes and where the floor met the walls. There was also a whole lot of wood included in the house, from flooring to tables, chairs and decorations. These decorations were mainly pieces of driftwood with intriguing shapes.

_This is definitely the biggest house that I've ever been in. _

We were ushered into her living room, which was much like the rest of the house, except for a very large window at the back of the room. There were some chairs spread out in a semi-circle around it and a burgundy rug on the floor. But this wasn't what made this room amazing. It was the view out of the window.

This window made the house seem like it was suspended above the edge of the Mesa. The ground was nowhere to be seen, as if it had dropped right from under the house. Visible was only thousands and thousands of pine trees that covered a large space miles below. I squinted into the distance and saw the glisten of a lake to the left, and the loom of the mountains to the right.

Ailith and I shared a bewildered glance.

Dune was having fun putting his face to the glass and making himself dizzy from the height.

Selena was savouring our reactions with an amused smirk.

"Now you know why I don't have much money left," she said.

"It must have taken forever to do this," Ailith gasped.

"It's a side project that I've been working on ever since I arrived at the Mesa. Fortunately, many people have been very generous with donating their time and contributing their effort." She noticed how Ailith and I hovered at the entrance of the room, unsure. "Would you like to sit down?"

Ailith started for a chair and so did Selena, but I stayed put. I watched them with a strange, hesitant feeling. Without my permission, my legs shook.

"What's wrong," sighed an exasperated Ailith. I understood her frustration with me. _I haven't been the most cooperative today._

I gave her an apologetic smile. I felt bad for not joining them, my body wouldn't let me move forward. "Uh, I think I'll stay here."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of heights, Kiara," chuckled Selena. I blushed and looked down, offended. She was laughing at me.

"It's not funny."

This made her laugh more. My stomach hurt as I watched her. Ailith was just as confused.

"Oh. I wasn't laughing at you, hun. I'm laughing at the irony of everything." She let out another snort. "The universe indeed has a sense of humour!"

"Don't know what you're talking about," I muttered, annoyed. My mood didn't last long, though. It had been too long since I had seen Selena, and I wouldn't risk spoiling a nice visit. I even ventured into the room, but I made sure that I was seated on the chair furthest from the window.

Dune eventually grew bored with the scenery and joined our conversation. We talked all day, everything from the hot summer weather, to the growing number of starvations in the Sinkhole, to the increasing amount of clothing that the Uppers swathed themselves in. We deliberately stayed away from the topic of recent events though, for which Selena had my deepest thanks.

The sky was now completely dark. I realised with surprise that I could still see because the moon's light filtered in from the window. I looked over at Ailith and Dune. Dune was passed out on the carpet and I had caught Ailith in the middle of a yawn. She smiled sleepily at me and blinked slowly. Selena stretched in her chair.

"I don't think I remember our way back," I stated sheepishly. I didn't mention that even if I had, it would take another 2 hours to make it to the Sinkhole. Selena seemed to know that already though.

"Don't worry yourself. There are cots already made up in the basement, if you would like to stay."

"Thank you," I responded.

"Really, there's no trouble. This just gives me an opportunity to prolong my time with you three."

Ailith and I expressed a very appreciative goodnight to Selena and then struggled with the task of carrying Dune's sleeping figure down the shadowed stairs. I tripped multiple times but still seemed to manage to not drop him, which I was extremely grateful for. When we arrived in the basement, it was, not surprisingly, dark and cool. We shuffled along the room until we bumped into the cots. There were four all together, one along each wall. We positioned Dune on the nearest cot, groaning with effort. He wasn't as small as he used to be. I took the one on the right wall of the room, while Ailith took the one on the far wall, opposite of the doorframe.

It took a while to get settled, and during that time I found myself reviewing the day's events in my head. Without my permission, my mind dwelt on my obvious neophyte reaction to the draw I had felt to the ore. I played my foolish behaviour over and over in my head, and realized that it wasn't my curiosity in the stone that had humiliated me, but how I handled the sudden feeling of withdrawal I felt after the humming had stopped. I felt that I had failed some kind of test, or something strange like that.

I never blew up like that, and I didn't usually feel chagrin for doing something silly. I would normally just laugh it off, but apparently the day was just too eventful for someone who had spent most of the summer in her house.

Maybe I was hallucinating due to all that pent up frustration.

Maybe Ailith's cooking wasn't very good and the eggs were bad.

_Who knows?_


	3. Nightmares, Pancakes and Rain Don't Mix

**Authors Note: **

**Hey everyone, here is another weekend update! I just wanted to say thank you for the reviews, and since there are a few questions, I might as well answer them now…**

** Restrained. Freedom: The Mesa is not actually located in Alaga****ë****sia, but just outside the borders of it (I won't say were exactly, because I don't want to give too much away) Also, the events take place from the ending of Eldest - at the beginning of the fanfic - and runs through the ending of Brisingr.  
**

** bubletea4me: The modernized language is not deliberate, but since the characters have grown up in a different culture than the characters in Alaga****ësia, I kind of have an excuse to infuse the story with a hybrid of modern and historical slang. **

**All will be answered later on in the story! **

**Okay, enough of my ramblings, here is the next chapter! **

**

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_**Chapter 3-**__**Nightmares, Pancakes and Rain Don't Mix**_

It had taken a few hours to get to sleep, and even then I didn't get any rest. My evening was filled with nightmares of evil kings that laughed manically while they whipped their citizens and then pushed them into the mud. The dreams shifted and thrashed around in my mind, like a caged, rabid animal. While most made no sense at all and didn't even register, there was one series of dreams that stuck out from the others in both its vividness and its significance:

_Two men faced each other on a battlefield. They weren't small enough to be called boys, although they still looked too young to wield the weapons that they did. A look of pure hatred for one another seemed enough to shake my mental self from the onslaught of endless dreams and pay close attention. A part of my brain told me that there was something extremely important about them. Swords drawn, they waited in anticipation for the first strike. The youngest one, who only looked to be around 17, seemed almost guilty, as if regretting the hate they were obviously displaying. The older one, even my sleeping self could tell that he was handsome, regarded the other with open hostility._

"_You can't help me," hissed he. "Nobody can, so stop trying. You know as well as I that we were destined to be enemies. Our fathers before us were enemies. And now, one of us will die." _

"_No," came the fierce reply. The younger one, as I noted, was much more likable. Less bitter, but just as good looking. His face was almost catlike in appearance. "It is not my fault that you are like this, and it's not the people that are your enemy either. I think you know who is _really _responsible for all your suffering, but I can't fathom why you can bring yourself to kill me, and those who are innocent, but not kill _him_."_

"_Don't try me, brother! It is not my intentions that you should be focused on, but the fact that you and I are here, and that I have the ability to win."_

"_So it comes down to skill. Is this it then? Will you kill me just because you have the ability to? Because you were ordered to? And what, pre tell, do you think will happen if you succeed? Do you think that it will get better for you? That the blood that you have spilt will disappear from your hands? That _he_ will give you you're freedom?" The younger boy had shifted his weight in anticipation. He may have been somewhat reluctant, but his expression told me that he would kill his opponent if that were what it came down to. _

"_You have no _idea_ what I have been punished with because of my fleeting sympathy toward you," he growled. "You would be wise to understand that my compassion has abandoned me, just like you did. You will not walk away from this fight." The man laughed. "_He_ has ordered that I bring you to him alive, but, _he_ has no other concerns as to how many limbs you posses when we get there." _

"_It doesn't have to be like this," the younger boy pleaded. "I gave you hope."_

"_You gave me a false one," he spat. "It didn't work." The other boy looked like he was about to object, but he was cut off. "No! Enough of this! I grow restless of talking. I never got a choice, so now I won't let you have one either! Let's see some blood!" _

"_Don't be so eager for blood. It may end up being yours." _

_Then they charged at each other with a flurry of sparks as their blades met._

My unconscious self wasn't even given enough time to react before I was thrust into another dream:

_It was of me this time. I was lying in the grass and watching a cloudy sky. Two birds flew in the space above me. One was a red cardinal, the other, a bluebird. They squawked at each other viscously, all the while twirling in a deadly dance of aerial combat. A night dark raven cheered them on from a nearby tree. _

Suddenly, the dream shifted again, to an image of the Hope.

_It was dark grey in the moonlight, but seemed to manage to shine even in the dark of the night. It grew and shrank in a steady rhythm, as if it were breathing. The sound coming from it increased from a low electric hum to the roaring sound of thunder. The surroundings turned darker until it was in complete darkness, only a small slice of the surface was illuminated. A rasping sound came in time with the breathing, as if the ore itself were suffocating. _

"It doesn't have to be like this! There should always be a choice," _a booming voice commanded. It was masculine, it was scary, and it echoed around in my head for an immeasurable period of time. _

I bolted upright in my bed; a cold sweat clung to my skin, and dampened my hair. The ghost of the voice was still fresh in my mind, as was the horrible dream. I was sure that there was some sort of metaphorical significance to it, but I was too wound up to sort it out. My rapid heartbeat pounded against my ribs and my lungs felt like the frigid air was stabbing them repeatedly. I took deep, even breaths and focused only on slowing my racing heart. When I was satisfied with it's pace, I laid back down and stared into the dark void were the ceiling should have been.

_Save… my… sons…_

The whispered thought wafted through my consciousness with a lazy, but somehow intense and desperate resonance. A chill zapped down my spine as the presence on my mind lingered. I assured myself that it as nothing more than a delayed conclusion to the dream, mostly on the count that if I thought it otherwise, I would have probably had a meltdown.

Instead, I passed out.

* * *

A dim, hazy light existed in the room when I woke up. It was coming from the crack under the door.

_Well, I got some rest after all, _I thought dryly. I noticed that the air was moist, and wondered idly if there was any mould down here. Since all of the other cots were empty, I decided that I had probably been sleeping for a while and that it was time to get up.

Everyone was busy in the kitchen. I had walked out of the basement and right into a frenzied race for breakfast. Selena was handing out pancakes like her life depended on it and Dune and Ailith were consuming them just as fast. They practically inhaled a plateful in the time it had taken me to cross the living room, glance at the rain-drenched window and walk into the kitchen. Then they were back in line for some more. Just watching the batter sizzle in the pan made my stomach growl in longing.

The smell was even worse. It paraded through the house with a swagger that shouldn't have been legal. It flaunted its amazing aroma around my nostrils. I inhaled deeply, making my stomach point out its state of neglect with more force than before. So I grabbed a plate and embraced the wonder of all that was "pancake."

"Jezz, you kids can eat," exclaimed an exasperated Selena. She wiped her brow dramatically.

"We need to fatten up for winter," joked Ailith, stuffing another forkful of pancake in her mouth.

Selena eyed us up and down. "Well, you three have a long way to go! I better make some more pancakes."

"Ugh, no more for me, please," Dune groaned and clutched his expanded stomach.

"I'll have more, if that's ok?" The others had a head start on me, and I had run out of pancakes before I had gotten my fill.

So that was how our day passed. We ate, we talked, we shared jokes, and eventually got bored of the once -amazing -now -unbearable -indoors. There were little places to walk, unless I paced to and fro or ran up and down steps, which I also grew bored of. There weren't anything in terms of games, except for the "window raindrop race" that Dune wanted to play; even that couldn't hold it's charm for an hour. The only thing that seemed to relieve the lethargy was the amount of reading material that Selena kept. Some looked relatively new, such as a book entitled "A Guide to Building Houses", while others were nothing more then dusk covered scrolls, the likes of which I decided were probably extremely old.

I couldn't read the scrolls - they were in some kind of foreign language. Instead of the letters that I _understood_, it was written in odd runes that decorated the parchment. I asked Selena about them and she answered in a wistful tone.

"This is written in the Ancient Language," she told me with a fond smile. She tried to get me to repeat some of the sounds that each letter made, but to no prevail. There were so many hard sounds and not enough softer ones in the pronunciation. To me it felt like I was attempting to form words from only consonants. So many "T"s and "N"s, "K"s and "R"s! My tongue couldn't move around them all!

The language was beautiful though, without a doubt. It made my skin tingle at the strong, compelling sound of it. I wanted to learn more, but Selena was having some kind of reverie that I was either too scared or too polite to pull her out of. She was chanting sentences under her breath, focusing her eyes on something far away. She paced around the room, her voice rising with every lap.

She looked quite disturbed.

Finally my concern won out over my manners. I reached my hand out to touch her shoulder. At the contact, she gasped and her body sagged. I tried to catch her, but I was pulled down too. We both would have collapsed onto the floor, if Ailith hadn't have noticed at the last second. That girl had wicked fast reflexes. She jumped from her chair and helped me support Selena's now limp body. We shuffled over to the carpet and, as softly as we could, laid her out on it.

The rain clouds eventually retreated and gave way to a purple twilight sky. Even the moon and stars came out of hiding and contributed to the beautiful evening. From the window, I watched white tendrils of fog snake their way around the pine trees and hover above the lake.

Of course, the evening would have been more enjoyable if our host were conscious.

Dune showed the most worry, so Ailith and I were hell-bent on keeping it together for him. We tried not to show our panic, since that would just scare him more. But I _was_ nervous though. She had been out for almost five hours now, and hadn't even stirred once. Ailith suggested multiple times during the day that we should check her pulse; I didn't understand how that could help. Selena was fine, well, at least on the outside. It was warm in the house, it was dry, she was breathing, she didn't have a fever and she had a soft rug to lie on. _Why isn't she getting up? _

So we waited.

The sky turned from purple to navy blue. I proposed that Ailith and I take night shifts so we could watch Selena.

"Fine," she agreed, "but you're going first." I just nodded, still a bit distracted by my thoughts. Ailith lit some candles in the living room for us.

Dune wasn't able to fall asleep, and I couldn't say that I blamed him. The last few days have been considerably weird for a few Lowers that live in Sinkhole.

My sluggish thoughts returned to the books on the self. There were so many that I only had time to look at half of them before. So I dragged myself over to the bookshelf - which was mounted on the right side of the living room, opposite of the entrance to the kitchen- and started scrolling through them. One book caught my eye. It was almost grey on the self, but as soon as I picked it up I realised it had a thick blanket of dust covering it. Ignoring my initial instinct to wipe my filthy hand on my dress, I continued to wipe the dust off, slowly revealing a royal blue binding and golden title. It read "The History of -". The last word was covered by a glob of black ink.

_Well, I'll never know what the title is unless I read it._

I opened to the first chapter, hoping that it could provide some good reading. It was difficult to keep my eyes open, but my heavy lids eventually obeyed me as I got further into the introduction.

_Alagaësia is considered to be the most mysterious country to date. A large continent with variegated climate and terrain, home to a wide number of creatures: some known, some unknown. It is interesting to note that many of the races currently inhabiting Alagaësia today have migrated from overseas. As stated above, Alagaësia's secrets are never-ending and few know much about it. However, it is safe to say that there are three primary races that have been residing in Alegaësia for as long as anyone can remember. These races are Dwarves, Elves and Dragons. _

_The other races, such as Humans, are recent additions to Alegaësia, considering how long that this land has existed for. They are a young race, and in their newness to Alagaësia comes discovery and understanding, something that I hope you will glean by reading on. _

_This book is designed to educate those who are still strangers to this land, whether you are from the north, south, east or west. Happy reading!_

I marked the page by folding over its corner, and then closed the book with a sigh. The person who wrote it was imaginative, that's for sure, but by the time I had finished reading the chapter, it felt like my head would explode. I slumped in my chair and stared dejectedly out the big window, taking in the differences between the "day" forest and the "night" forest.

_Why does everything seem so sinister at night? Even the moon has a sort of chilling beauty. _

I sat like that for a while, my thoughts moving around my head like sleepy bees. I glanced at Selena, and wasn't surprised that she hadn't moved an inch.

"Right where I left you," I quipped in endearment. It was very late, I was tired, but apparently my sense of humour was still intact, if not a bit hysterical. I sighed and walked over to the candles that Ailith had lit, then blow them out. Of course then I had trouble finding my chair again, but after flailing around in the dark for a while I somehow managed to seat myself. I surrendered to my persistent eyelids and drifted into the darkness.

* * *

**A.N: I apologize for the length of the chapters so far, but I promise more plot next update!**

**"Begining a book is like building a house. Before building up the plot, we must first lay a strong foundation." - my English teacher :P  
**


	4. A Crime of Confusion

**A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone again for bearing with me on those first three chapters. I realize that it was kind of slow going.**

**But hopefully this chapter will get the ball rolling!**

**

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_**Chapter 4: A Crime of Confusion**_

"What are we doing that's so important that it couldn't wait till the sun is up?" I mumbled tiredly in the darkness.

"We are going to steal the Hope," a voice stated from my left.

"What- how-huh," I sputtered, shocked that this had come from the mouth that it had. "B-but you _work here!_ It's _your job_ to protect the Hope, not to- to… you know, be the _perpetrator_!"

"This is an unavoidable situation. It was bound to happen sometime."

I studied the shadowed face before me, incredulous that there was no hint of humour on it.

"What? You're not making any sense! We need to go back to the house."

"If everything in this world made sense, there would be no fun in doing anything," Selena sighed at my expression. "But if this is to happen, it must happen by your hand. This is something that you have to do by yourself."

"By myself," I echoed, dazed. "I wouldn't even let Ailith go through with this! It's wrong." I set my jaw stubbornly.

This would've been a normal conversation – if I had been talking with Ailith. However, it just so happens that Ailith wasn't around.

"I have my reasons, Kiara," she calmly informed me. She sounded so much like her old, sure, self that I almost wanted to believe that there was a chance she wasn't crazy. But at this point I was thoroughly convinced that all of her sanity had been lost when she regained consciousness.

She had woken up with a vengeance. I was startled to arise to Selena furiously shaking my shoulder, animatedly telling me about some dream that she had, how it meant something extremely important and that we had to investigate right away. Ignoring my well-justified confusion, and my attempts to ask her if she was all right, she simply pulled me off the chair, put on her boots and told me to follow her out.

It was 2 a.m at the time.

I guessed that it was currently around 3: 30 now. The streets were deserted, the moon was lost behind a pack of dark clouds and the wind chilled me to the bone. How I wished that were our biggest problem.

We stood there for the longest time, shivering in the shadow of a nearby street alley. We had a good view of the guards, who were passing slowly around the Memorial, but we were still hidden enough that they wouldn't be able to see us. I watched as the closest guard let out a long yawn. I imagined that by now they were probably considerably tired, which was good for us.

Yet we didn't take advantage of this. Anxious, I waited for Selena to do something, but then realized that she wanted me to make the first move. I had made my decision though, and we weren't stealing anything.

"Might as well have a seat," advised Selena. "I have a feeling this is going to be quite the long wait."

"I'm not changing my mind," I reminded her firmly.

But eventually, the cold night air and Selena's exaggerated shaking weakened my resolve. I caved.

"Okay, you win," I huffed. "Geez, I think the weather enjoys messing around with people's perception of seasons. Just yesterday I could have sworn it was summer. Now, go back to the house and put a sweater on!" I tried to sound strong, but I just felt too defeated. I was such a sucker for guilt trips.

Nothing like sleep deprivation to make you agree to anything.

Selena looked disappointed that I gave in as soon as I did; I'm sure she was anticipating a good clash of iron will, and, being the lunatic she had most likely become, I'm sure she was thrilled about having to wait around in the cold, dark alley.

She pursed her lips at me and made a _tsk, tsk,_ sound in the back of her throat. "You're going to have to work on that tenacity of yours, or should I say _lack of_ tenacity. I doubt you'll last very long if you are as pliant as you are now."

"_What - are – you- talking- about_," I snarled, frustrated. "What do you mean, '_I won't last long'_?"

"Stop being a pacifist and start being a warrior," she clasped me on my shoulder and suddenly sounded intense. "Don't be so quick to sacrifice your beliefs for others. I know you are the selfless kind, but you are also very stubborn, and too darn moral. That being said… let's go steal that silver!"

I rolled my eyes at the irony in her words. All patience having been lost, I sighed. "Fine, what do I have to do?"

Then Selena smiled a smile so mischievous and knowing that my stomach tightened just at the sight. _God, she's totally crazy! This is such a bad idea. _

Suddenly a shout was heard to my left, coming from the general direction of the Memorial. I had about a second to process it before I saw Ailith run across the mouth of the alleyway, carrying a dusty painting tucked under her arm. She grinned at me without breaking her stride and gave a thumbs up to Selena. Then, she disappeared from view.

I gaped at the empty spot where she had been a few seconds ago, stunned. Unable to recover my ability to function, I watched dumbly as three guards passed our hiding spot, screaming profanities at the blond-haired thief. I was vaguely aware of Selena pushing me out of the shadows and towards the intersecting cobblestone-path.

"Now is your chance, honey. Remember, you may not understand now, but soon you will. This is for everyone's own good!" Then she gave me one final shove, sending me vaulting onto the open street and towards the now unguarded Memorial.

I ran blindly to the torchlit ruins, somewhat relieved for the sight that came with it, but also terrified to be spotted. The Hope was right where I remembered it to be, and just as magnificent in the dim gloom as it had been in bright daylight. A sense of recognition was enough to bring me up short. I remembered my dream - could it have only been a couple of nights ago? It was so familiar to me that I felt like I had been burdened with it since birth. Or maybe it was because I had analyzed it so often since then that it stuck in my head? The Hope that sat before me now was creepily similar to its nightmare-ish counter part. In my dream it had said that there always had to be a choice.

"Always a choice, huh," I muttered darkly as I approached it. Again I was drawn to it. I felt a pulsing coming from the shiny surface, and I reached out to stroke it. It was hard, but at the same time, as fluid as a still pond. Tough, but at the same time, soft.

Curious, I knocked on its marbled surface. The ore produced a single, echoing note that lingered in the air for an immeasurable time before fading away.

_Huh, it sounds...hollow?_

My hands trailed down the Hope's contours before meeting at its base. Steeling my strength, I heaved against the stone with what I estimated to be the appropriate force... and immediately fell backwards onto the ground, ore in possession.

_What? _

Apparently, it wasn't as heavy as I had thought.

Collecting myself, I tested its weight by balancing it in one hand. It was suspiciously light for a piece of stone larger than my head. Still sitting on the ground, I ran my fingers over the silver oval, tracing the darker labyrinth of veins that weaved through each other in complicated pattens.

Suddenly, muffled shouts brought me back to reality. Reminding myself that time was limited, I scurried to my feet, slipped the ore inside my jacket, and ran like hell.

* * *

Unfortunately, hell wasn't fast enough.

As I flew for the cover of a nearby street corner, I heard their voices coming closer and knew that I had been spotted. They cried for me to stop, spewing out threats of what will happen to me if I didn't slow down.

_Now you've done it, _chastised that annoying voice in my head; my conscience. _Time to get whats coming to you. _

"Listen," yelled the man that was chasing me. Fortunately there was only one, as the others seemed to have given up . _"_I'll lessen your punishment if you just stop running! People who run always get in more trouble! Please! I'll lose my job!"

_Sorry buddy, _I thought, and put on another burst of speed. I vaulted around the corner, hopefully out of sight of the last pursuer. I knew that I was in the clear, but guilt pushed my legs to run faster, as if I could somehow outrun that as well. Like a living shadow, I weaved in and out of the side streets, plunging into patches of torch light and then disappearing out of them just as fast. My arms ached from carrying the Hope. Cold air stabbed my lungs with each frantic breath, but I didn't stop. The icy fire that pulsed throughout my body made my legs shaky, and everything burned with adrenaline. This adrenaline wasn't the good kind either; this adrenaline made me clumsy and slow, or maybe that was just all me. It probably was.

Miraculously, I managed to find Selena's house.

Without hesitating, I wrenched open the front door and flew inside. I slammed it behind me and pressed my back against it for good measure. My faced burned with left over adrenaline, and my heart beat faster then it had when I was running. That was the weird thing, I could run forever, as long as I didn't slow down, because then my heart pumped harder in some sort of delayed reaction.

_Did that really just happen? _

I slid to the floor, pressed my back against the door, and curled in on myself. I clutched the silver closer to my body, as if attempting to prevent it from sprouting legs and running away. I pressed a trembling finger to my lips in an attempt to quell a sob from escaping.

I would not cry, at least that's what I told myself.

"We're going to get through this," I whispered to no one in particular. I started to soothe myself by concentrating on the songs that my mother used to sing to Dune, Brandon and I when one of us had a nightmare. My favourite was about changing the world despite despite being afraid. I sang them in the darkness, and when I had run out of things to sing, I forced myself to talk. It actually served as a nice distraction.

"You know," I told the piece of ore in my arms, because, I really had no one else to converse with other than myself. I didn't really want to sound crazy or start to develop a split personality or anything, plus, I had had enough of myself for a while. Me, myself, and I weren't on talking terms right now.

"I have always thought that people's notion of courage is completely misguided. I, mean, you can't be courageous if you don't feel frightened. So it makes sense that someone who is brave would have to be someone who also gets scared easily, right? So, an absolute coward definitely has the potential to be considerably more courageous than someone who feels no fear, don't you think. Maybe it's just me...Maybe it's because I want to be considered brave sometimes, even though I'm...well...not." My voice was so filled with disappointment that it reminded me of my current scenario, and it dropped off into silence.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I remembered was Dune peering down at me, a look of confusion on his childish face. I smiled ruefully at him, then I realized that the ore was missing from my stone grip.

"Dune, where's the Hope!"

He shrunk back, hurt replacing the confusion. "Selena took it. I think she locked it in the basement. I'm sorry Kiara, don't get mad."

I sighed, and rubbed my eyes. "No, this is my fault, Dune." I opened my arms, inviting him in for a hug. He didn't hesitate.

I cradled the boy on my lap. He really was betting too big for this, but I won't think of denying him the comfort that he often went without. In truth, I needed this hug more than Dune did. I squeezed my my eyes shut and pulled him closer. I didn't notice my tears until Dune started to sob too.

"Come on, Dune Bug, let's go to the kitchen. I'm sure Selena has some breakfast made." _It would be the least she could do after last night. _We wiped our eyes on my sleeve on our way to the kitchen.

Selena was cooking bacon, and even Ailith was up, lounging near the counter. They were talking animatedly with each other, so they didn't notice us until I cleared my throat impatiently. They shut up immediately at my expression. Ailith looked guilty, but excited, and Selena looked grave, but unwavering. Their conversion completely forgotten, they fluttered around me, talking all at once.  
"You need to -"

"I couldn't say no- "

"- understand that this is - "

"She makes a good argument - "

" - not your call. It is too importa - "

"I'm so, sorry, Kiara. I know you don't like to steal!"

"- too many lives at stake. One opinion doesn't matter!"

"HEY," I yelled, silencing them. That made me feel kind of smug, as if I had some authority after all. "Look, someone is going to explain this _right, now. _" Instead of the pity look that Ailith was giving me, Selena just peered at me with knowing eyes. She stepped forward and gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder. I wanted to shake it off, and I really wanted to glare at her, but I ended up just pressing my lips tight and clasping my hands together. I was willing to listen, as long as she was willing to make sense. Judging by Ailith's eager expression, she must have been just as in the dark as I was.

"Before you ask about the Hope, I want to tell you where I come from. It's a place actually not that far from here, although I am sure none of you have ever heard of it. It is truly a beautiful place. Not as advanced in technology in comparison to here though. Less tame, and more rugged. Have a seat," she said, walking toward the chairs in the big window room. We complied.

"Now, where was I? This country, you must understand, is in a way, lost in the past. I have to admit that I prefer it there. I was an employee of the king, you know."

"Really," Dune gasped, looking awestruck. I was a bit more skeptical. "What was that like?"

"Horrible," Selena grinned. "Although I was good at what I did, I hated every minute of it. "

"What was your job," I asked, in spite of myself.

"I'd rather not say, for it was extremely unpleasant. Plus, I'm sure Dune won't appreciate it if I gave him nightmares for the next week."

"That bad, huh," inquired Ailith.

" Oh, worse," she said, still strangely chipper.

"So if it was so bad, than why did you like it there?"

"I was in love. It was a stupid thing on my part, especially since I was being used." She laughed mockingly. "But, please, lets not get into that. I was going to tell you about the king."

"We won't interrupt again," promised Ailith.

"Very well. The king was a cruel man. Some go as far as to say he is pure evil. He cares little for the well-being of his country, but will defend his rein viscously none the less. Years and years of bitterness eventually drove him mad. He still rules to this day, though I think it is safe to assume that many people are working hard to change that. It won't be an easy task; for even though he is ancient in years, he is powerful without comparison. He should not be underestimated." She looked around our little circle, locking eyes with everyone before quietly saying, "I have finished."

_What was the point of that? _

"Okay...so how exactly does this relate to the Hope?"

"You'd be surprised, Kiara. You would do well to remember this."

"Sure, now what of the Hope."

"It's in the basement," she sighed. She looked sad that I didn't show interest in her story. I actually was interested, but I decided that I was still too angry to show it. I would have to apologize later... wait, for what? This whole situation was her fault!

_But she's still Selena, and I don't want to fight with her._

I slouched towards the basement door, and opened it, still aware of the eyes burning a hole in my back. I closed the door as slowly and quietly as I could, and then flew down the stairs.

I swiveled my head back and forth swiftly, trying to find the silver oval in the windowless room. My eyes adjusted quickly. Suddenly, the room brightened from an inky darkness into a gray gloom. I spotted the Hope instantly; it was sitting on my cot. I crossed the room in three quick steps and practically vaulted onto the bed. I pulled the Hope into my grasp and shifted it constantly between my two hands.

"What sick game is Selena playing? I mean, everything was fine until we came here. Then everything started to mess up, and now I'm some sort of paranoid wreck! What is she planning to do with a huge piece of silver, other than sell it? She seemed pretty intent on my involvement. It's kinda scaring me. I mean..." My words faded as my finger detected an abnormality in the Hope's surface.

_Oh, no! _

Desperate, I traced it over and over again, using different fingers in case there was some sort of mistake. Yes, something was definitely wrong. I took a deep breath, and then glanced down at the stone between my hands.

There, on its previously flawless face, was a small, hairline crack.

* * *

"Selena, I'm so sorry-I-I-I swear, I didn't do it on purpose – I wouldn't – I know you think I'm mad at you, but I wouldn't do anything like that! Please, don't be angry," I finished in a panic. Selena, Ailith and Dune stared at me like I was crazy.

"Kiara, what is the matter," Selena asked in a soft voice. I winced, because her tone made this situation so much worse. I hesitated, then slowly revealed the fractured version of the Hope from behind my back. I hid my face and closed my eyes in dread. Ailith and Dune gasped, but Selena was quiet. After a long silence, I peeked at her face.

She was smiling so wide I thought her face would crack like the damaged silver in my hands.

"I never thought that I would see a sight like this in my life," she whispered, closing in to give me a joyous embrace.

"But, but – I... I broke the Hope," I mumbled against her shoulder. She laughed and pulled away. I started at her face in shock. Selena - the calm and cool woman that I have always looked up to for her bravery and strength – was actually _crying_.

"No, child, you have _restored_ our hope."


	5. The Awkward Arrival

_**Chapter 5 - The Awkward Arrival  
**_

I was sitting alone on the floor in the living room, feeling very slow and very confused, when Selena returned with the fractured Hope. She placed it on the carpet in front of me with a composed demeanor.

"What were you doing when you found that crack," She whirled the question at me with urgency.

"Uh, I think I was talking to it," I replied stupidly. She should have known better than to put me on the spot if she wanted to get a coherent answer out of me.

"Then talk to it. Talk as much as you can. It doesn't matter if you don't make sense, just as long as it can hear your voice."

"Uh, okay?" Selena went to the kitchen and sat down. She became as still as a stone, watching with an intensity I didn't think was physically possible. I fidgeted nervously under her gaze.

Feeling self conscious, I started in an unsure voice. "So, I don't really know what's going on, but, apparently I'm supposed to be talking to you... Nice day out today, don't you think; not that I would know or anything. I've been in here all day long, being used as a key player in the strange plots of a crazy woman," I grimaced at Selena. "I really don't want to do this," I added, still looking in her direction.

"Humor me," Selena replied calmly from the kitchen.

"Oh, I see! This is some form of punishment, right? You want me to amuse you at my expense!" My cheeks burned in embarrassment.

"Have a little faith, Kiara."

"Selena," I reasoned. "Your like a mother to me, and I want don't want to argue with you, but lately, everything seems so strange. I can't make sense of anything!" I was all ready to go into full rant mode when I noticed that Selena was preoccupied. She wasn't even listening! Instead, she stared in awe at the spot in front of me. Annoyed, I turned my glare on the silver... and froze.

The stone was vibrating.

It quivered manically on the carpet, humming loudly with each violent thrash. More fissures slithered across its ravished surface. The rocking increased in velocity with every new line that cut through the ore's plane. The low buzzing sound got louder until it hurt my ears.

Bewildered, I threw a panicked glance over my shoulder, but Selena was beyond noticing me. She was smiling triumphantly at the little headache on the floor. Finally, with one last splitting crack, a huge crevice opened in the ore's side. A slimy object pocked through the hole. The alien creature pulled itself out of the stone and blinked at me with large gray eyes. My heart beat frantically against my ribs.

The creature advanced, its contorted body shuffling towards me. An icy wave of terror held me in place as the thing came closer. Finally it stopped, just inches from my outstretched foot. The thing decided it just wanted to stare at me, which somehow freaked me out more than when it was walking. I found myself locked in its gaze, which was extremely unnerving because it was so piercing.

Like it was looking right into my soul.

"Selena," I pleaded.

I felt her at my shoulder, grabbing hold of my hand. I held onto hers as if my life depended on it. She pulled our intertwined hands up, and then started to pry her fingers from my desperate grasp. Her hand slipped away slowly, only to be replaced with an iron grip on my wrist.

Suddenly, her comforting touch was pulling, forcing my hand towards the monster. I resisted, a feeling of betrayal rising in my throat. I squirmed for all I was worth.

"Touch it," she hissed in my ear. Selena was rarely commanding, but when she was, she was a force to be reckoned with. Abruptly, I was more frightened by her than I was by the creature. "Kiara, you need to listen to me. It won't hurt you, but _you need to touch it!_" She wrestled harder with my stubborn arm.

"No, no...no, NO!" I dug the fingers of my free hand into the carpet. My nails clawed around for any purchase the rug.

Honestly, I knew I was overreacting, but something about Selena's persistence made everything even more scary. I was being forced into something I didn't understand, and naturally, I was going to do everything in my power to fight it.

"Kiara, I know that none of this makes sense to you right now, but believe me, this is a good thing! I need you to trust me right now. Can you do that?"

My head shook in defiance, but I could already feel my resistance melting. "I trust you," I muttered grudgingly, dropping my eyes. This time, her wrist hold wasn't as forceful. Now it wasn't pulling, but instead, it was guiding. My arm extended slowly by its own power. When the palm of my hand was within an inch of the creature's face, I hesitated.

_Oh, just do it, you coward,_ I told myself. Taking in a large gulp of air, I turned my face away and thrust my hand forward, expecting it to be bitten off in a second.

Instead, I was electrocuted.

* * *

_In my dream, I saw the red cardinal again. This time, instead of flying free with the bluebird, it was in a cage. It watched in envy as the bluebird circled up above him, trying to find a way to rescue him. The cardinal squawked and squawked for help from the bluebird, but every time it tried to get near the cage, it was deterred by an invisible wall. My vision did a ninety degree pan to show another cage beside the cardinal's. _

_ In it was a sleeping green hummingbird._

_

* * *

_

When I woke up, I was surprised to see Selena kneeling beside me. I was propped up on a chair in the living room. Golden sunlight filtered into the room from the huge window and highlighted Selena's salt and pepper hair. Curious, I watched as she wound a long bandage around my right hand.

"Ugh, what happened," I moaned, putting my free hand to my throbbing scull. Along with the splitting headache, I had the odd sensation that my head wasn't attached to my shoulders anymore. Like it was floating away in empty space.

"You don't remember,"she whispered, surprised. I shook my head. Suddenly, Dune materialized on my other side, hugging my arm.

"The baby marked you Kiara," he stated matter of factly, as if that was a completely normal thing to say. I gawked at him.

"The... baby... _marked me_? Selena, what is he talking about?"

"Even though your... ah, injury... wasn't inflicted on purpose, it will still leave a permanent scar."

"So why didn't Dune just say that I had a scar? You don't need to sugarcoat it for me Selena, I can handle it."

"Not _jus_t a scar, it's a _special_ scar," Dune told me severely.

"Okay then, a _special_ scar." I rolled my eyes at his serious expression. "Did it, like, bite me or something?"

"No, it didn't bite you," Selena said, shaking her head. "This is a hard thing to explain, so I will just say it as best I can." She threw a cautious look at Dune. "This thing that you keep referring to: It is called a _dragon - "_

"You say that like it holds some sort of importance for me," I snorted.

Selena once again sighed at my ignorance. "A dragon is a very rare and powerful creature. They have been unheard of for _centuries_, and many believed that they were completely destroyed. Your dragon has been dormant in its egg for at least twenty years, maybe more. They are intelligent beings, make no mistake of that, and will not hatch until they sense the person that is destined to be their rider. When a future rider touches their dragon for the first time, a bond is formed with that chosen person. In this case, that chosen rider, is you. That is what Dune meant when he said that your dragon marked you"

Then Selena unwrapped my bandage and let me see the scar on the palm of my hand. A _gedwëy ignasia_ was what she had called it. I gasped at it, flexing my hand, studying it's silver, spiraling pattern from every angle. Like the dragon's egg, and it's scales, and everything that seemed attached to the dragon, the gedwëy ignasia was incredibly beautiful.

And even though my head was spinning from the surreal tales she was spinning, and even though everything rational inside of me was accusing her of lying, I realized that I believed every word that she was saying.

"When can I see him again," I asked, trying to disguise the excitement in my voice. Selena laughed mirthfully and gestured for me to proceed.

Even before I opened the door to the basement, I could hear the dragon scuffling around the room. It sounded like one wild child, especially since Ailith had showed up just before and told me to bring it food, or else it would take my shoes as a substitute.

I opened the door cautiously and peeked inside the dim room. It was still only the afternoon, so there was plenty of light that flooded down the stairwell. As soon as I placed a foot on the first step, a sudden thunder of crashing sounds shook the walls. It made me think that maybe there was a chance that the dragon was just as excited and nervous as I was.

As I continued down the stairs, a strange feeling enveloped my mind, like my brain was literally being touched by something intangible. Curious, I pushed against the pressure, trying to understand it.

_Did I used to be able to push against things with my mind?_

In response to this thought, another pulled at my consciousness, but it wasn't mine. The presence was extremely foreign, and I didn't understand where it was coming from. Suddenly the pressure got much stronger, and with one slow dawning revelation, I realized that the thoughts were coming from the dragon!

Eager to see the acclaimed trouble maker and mind reader, I skipped the rest of the stairs in one powerful bound.

I landed with a thud. There was a skittering sound, and then the room was absolutely silent.

"Hello," I called timidly. "Where are you little guy?" I can't say I was surprised that I didn't get a response.

_Great, now it's hiding from me. _

I scanned the room with a cautious eye, advancing as quietly as I could. Just when I was about to give up – to go back to Selena and ask if she was playing a joke on me - I spotted iridescent gray eyes peeking out from under Dune's cot.

"Hey, there," I greeted it, tentatively. I crouched down in front of the bed and dangled a piece of meat in front of the shinning eyes, hoping to entice it out of hiding. I waited patiently for some sort of acknowledgment, but the dragon seemed decided against showing itself. Then, with a flash of movement, the meat was suddenly gone from my grasp. A gurgled cooing was the only thanks that I got for the meat.

"Okay, I see how you want to play this." I pulled out another strip of meat from my pouch and dangled it closer to me this time. This way, the dragon would at least have to reveal its snout in order to get the meat.

I studied the eyes for any sign of pursuit. The dragon's intent gaze was focused on the meat, then it flashed suspiciously to my face, then back at the food. It seemed truly stumped this time.

Then, abruptly, the meat was gone.

"Whoa, you're good," I exclaimed. We continued with this game for what felt like hours, and yet I never got tired of it. I was nearly out of meat, though, and, well, I _was_ anxious to see it. Maybe it was time for a different tactic.

I concentrated on the mental link, trying to bury my whole being inside the small area of contact. I was instantly rewarded by the dragon's answering curiosity. Good, it was listening.

_It's okay, I'm a friend,_ I stressed through the link. At first I was afraid that it couldn't hear me, but after a small pause, the dragon responded with a weak sense of understanding. Pushing myself further, I sent a few calming thoughts toward it via 'dragon link'. Within a few minutes of this newly found method of communication, the dragon finally padded its way from under the bed.

The noble creature poised in front of me was almost incomparable to the slight, squirmy thing that I had first met. This was a dragon; not a thing, not a monster, not an unnamed creature, but a small, magnificent, focused and intelligent dragon. It was about the size of a cat, equipped with over sized wings disproportionate to the rest of its body, sharp, white teeth, talons, and awe-inspiring silver scales. They reflected the dragon's surroundings like nature's own home-made mirror. A line of thin spikes rose from its back.

Oddly enough, it still managed to look fierce and majestic despite its rounder face and stubby appendages. Its big gray eyes watched me with an awareness I have never seen displayed by another animal.

The dragon advanced cautiously at first, sniffing deeply for more meat strips. I held as still as possible, not wanting to scare it back into hiding. However, that didn't seem to be a problem as soon as it found out that I had more food. The dragon became bolder in its movements, and, to my intense surprise, it even curled up beside me. More than unsure of what to do, I gingerly placed my hand in the arch of its neck. The dragon made a strange gurgling noise that I guessed was the equivalent of a purr. I ran my hand along its tiny neck spikes thoughtfully.

"Come on," I said after a while. Careful not to move too quickly, I scooped the silver mass up in my arms. It squirmed for a second, then calmed down enough for me to venture a few steps up the stairs. "I bet you hate being trapped down here, I know I do."

The dragon let out a loud snort of agreement, and with that, we set off to spend some quality bonding time together.

* * *

**A/N: I was just wondering what everyone would like to see in this fanfic. I assume that a big thing is Murtagh, but, along with the rest of the Inheritance series bunch, they will not be appearing for a while at least :(  
**

**So...what do _you_ want to see more of? Suspense? Humor? A certain scene that you have in mind? Let me know in either a review or private message and I will try my best to include it in the future! **

**Thanks again! **


	6. Explanations and Preparations

**_Chapter 6: Explanations and Preparations _**

I woke up to the sound of my own terrified shrieks, yet again. I sat on my bed, eyes wild and gasping for air. Ailith was beside me in a second.

"The dream again," she whispered. It wasn't a question. I nodded wearily.

"It's always the same two. They sometimes differ in content, but the subject is always the same," I said in distress. Ailith put her arm around me and stoked my sweat soaked hair in comfort. A tendril of concern touched my mind, and I saw a metallic flash of silver on my left. The dragon's smooth scales pressed against my side in the next moment.

The three of us huddled together. I imagined that if we were on the street right now, the sight of us would have been enough to stop onlookers in their tracks. Despite how odd we looked together, I was happy to just sit in the dark and enjoy our silent companionship.

"You have been plagued with this dream for weeks, Kiara. I think that you should go to Selena about them."

"I can't," I breathed.

"You know full well that she is stricken with the same ones; we have heard her screams echoing yours. You could help each other understand them." Her hand pushed the stray hairs from my forehead while she spoke.

"I can't go to her," I repeated. "I don't want to understand them, I just want them to go away."

"At least make them known to her. You're talking with her less and less each day, Kiara. It will do you both good to confide in each other again. No one can be expected to do everything on their own, especially something like this."

I flinched internally at her words, mainly because I knew that they were true. Selena and I were drifting apart, even though we weren't actually mad at each other. No, I knew that the reason was that I wanted to prove that I could handle the things that were happening on my own. I felt a twinge of guilt. Guilt for Selena, guilt for Dune, and guilt for Ailith.

"When did you get to be so damn wise," I grumbled softly.

I thought back to the girl who had stolen us breakfast only a few weeks ago. Somehow, that girl had disappeared right from under my preoccupied nose.

"It's a miracle what a little time with Selena and her books can do to you," Ailith chuckled quietly. "I haven't been cured quite yet though," she smiled, holding up a diamond encircled wrist. To my relief, I noticed that her eyes hadn't lost that mischievous twinkle.

"Good," I said, then sighed. "I guess that you're right about Selena. I'll ask her in the morning."

"_You'll_ _ask her now_," she corrected. "Surely she's been woken by her nightmares already."

"Okay, then, fine."

* * *

When I had found my way through the dark staircase, and navigated the long hall that lead to Selena's room, I stopped at the doorway. Hesitantly, I peeked into the room. I was surprised to see Selena already upright in her bed. She squinted in my direction, as if trying to make sure that I was actually there, then gestured for me to come in.

I shuffled in and sat awkwardly on the edge of the mattress. It wasn't until after she had lit a candle that I noticed how terrible she looked. Haggard. Her gray streaked hair had matted into a messy heap on top of her head. Her brow was wet with sweat, and she had dark purple circles under her bloodshot eyes.

"Selena," I gasped, taken aback by her appearance. "Why didn't you tell us that it was this bad!"

"You worry too much as it is, child."

"Well," I said gruffly, not quite able to look into her eyes. "No more secrets from now on, okay?" When I looked back up, her expression told me that she had caught the hypocrisy in that statement. Taking in a gulp of air, I followed my own advice and came clean about the nightmares. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner... I guess my pride got in the way."

"You are more than forgiven Kiara," she said. There was a scuffling sound at the door, and I knew that the dragon had somehow managed to make its way upstairs. I used its well-timed entrance as an excuse to avoid Selena's penetrating gaze.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled again, just for a lack of anything better to say. I didn't know how else to start up this conversation, but apologizing seemed like the best way to go.

"Oh, I won't hear anymore of that from you," she chastised me, feinting disapproval. "Remorse losses it's charm when it wallows in it's own self pity - then it just becomes annoying. Besides, it's my turn for apologies." She patted the spot on the bed beside her, and I crawled into the blankets, feeling more like Dune's age than my own. "I was wrong not to share with you the secrets that I kept. In my mind, there was no time to explain, only time for action. I assumed that you would handle things as you used to by telling jokes or going with the flow, as you call it however, I underestimated how headstrong you have become, especially with all of this stress that you have to deal with. You used to be so patient, so... obedient," she laughed fondly at some memory.

"Yeah, what an inconvenience it is when a child learns to think for them self," I muttered sarcastically, but I was suppressing a smile. Selena gave my hand an apologetic squeeze, then opened her mouth to continue.

"Ever since that day at the Memorial, I have had this feeling about you. A premonition of sorts. When I explained my behaviour, I wanted you to be prepared, but I didn't know how much information you could handle. So I hinted at first. Unfortunately that made you angry; you must have had a feeling that I was hiding something though, or you wouldn't have responded the way you did."

"I thought you were conducting a sort of joke at my expense. Either that, or you were completely loony - well, to be perfectly honest with you, I'm still not sure that you aren't. But I guess, that, deep down, I knew something amazing was happening._" I just didn't want to believe it, because amazing things usually lead to adventure. And adventure is pretty much synonymous with mortal peril. "_I was just in denial."_ Or just being a coward._

"No matter," she said, waving away my self- accusations. "Since I have confessed to keeping secrets, I suppose your curiosity has been intrigued."

"Yes," I said, tentatively. "I want to know everything."

"Well that's going to require a lot of explaining on my part," she smiled. "I think it would be easier for you to tell me what you already know, so that I can fill in the blanks."

"Oh, okay," I hesitated, trying to remember what I remembered about Selena's past. "First off, you came from a country that no one knows about, but it's really close by... You worked for a king, but he was a tyrant and you hated your job...You fled to the Mesa hoping to outrun a war... You almost died in the process... and you left your family behind...?"

"My brother, his wife, his son, and my sons," she whispered, eyes downcast. After hesitating, she added, "And my... son's father." Moved, I dropped my gaze to the floor. I didn't know what to say. Selena wasn't one for meaningless reassurances, and she definitely wasn't one who wanted someone else's pity.I had to say something though, so I settled for the standard but heartfelt: "I am sorry for your losses."

Suddenly her eyes flicked up at me, a look of surprise on her face. "Why? They are not dead," she stated, her cheer somewhat forced this time. "Maybe not in the best condition...broken and feuding, yes, but things are looking up since the dragon has hatched. Besides, I haven't lost anything yet except for some of your respect for me, and even that I can feel returning already."

I had to laugh at her optimism. It felt so out of place, especially now. Especially while we were talking about the fate of her family. 釘ut, how can you possibly know that,I asked, confused.

"Know what? My family's well-being, or your dwindling respect for me?"

"About your family," I specified. I thought about saying 'both', just for a good laugh, but I had a feeling that now wasn't a good time for humour.

"I think you already know the answer to that question," she whispered mysteriously.

"Okay, we've officially reached the part in the conversation when I have no idea what you're talking about." There was an uncomfortable pause, and I felt Selena shift guiltily. I looked up at her, surprised at her response. The contours of her face glowed with the flickering light of the candle, and despite the shadows, I could still see her expression from where I was sitting.

I wondered if she knew how little she told me, how many sleepless nights that had passed where I gazed up at the ceiling, trying to decipher the day's riddles. I had always assumed that she was purposefully trying to confuse me, but now I wasn't so sure.

"Selena," I asked quietly, watching as she was pulled from her train of thought. "You said that you didn't want to overwhelm me... I just want you to know that I appreciate the effort, but your half- explanations usually raise more questions than they answer. If it's okay, I would rather if you tell me everything. No edits, no hinting, no sparing my feelings, or my innocence. It would make me feel better to have everything out in the open."

She glanced at me from the corner of her eye and nodded, still looking somewhat distant. She cleared her throat.

"Your nightmares," she said, after a while. "They are about two boys, are they not? Always fighting, but never wanting to." When I didn't respond, she nodded to herself, as if I had just confirmed something. "I have the same ones, which is why I know that my family may be broken, but at least they are alive. No, I have not lost anything... yet. I believe that could change soon if nothing is done about it, though." She glanced down again. "I regret leaving them behind. It didn't occur to me that by fleeing, I have exposed them more thoroughly to the circumstances that I myself was running from."

"You mean the war," I said.

"No," she shook her head, regretfully. "I thought that I was running from the threat of war, but really, I was running from my own troubles. By doing that, I have ensured that those very troubles have been thrust upon my sons... Oh, my sons," she sighed, trying hard to stifle a sob. "Their troubles are my doing..."

"You can't believe that Selena," I consoled her softly, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder. "It's not your fault." Her words sounded creepily familiar, and with a jolt, I realized that I had heard something similar in one of my dreams. "Save my sons," I recalled, feeling sick. "That was you wasn't it?"

"I had to warn you of what you will be expected to do," she whispered brokenly. Her eyes were filled with a pain that I had never seen before.

"Is that what this is about? Is this why you have been so eager? You expect me to fight your war," I concluded, shrinking back into the pillow.

"Absolutely not," she scoffed, looking offended. "I have hurt enough people as it is, I don't expect to hurt you in order to help them! Everything that I have told you has gone against my better judgement and if it was _my_ decision, I would have you and your dragon locked up here so that you will never have to face the threat that is currently hanging over your head!" After rambling on for a while longer, Selena, flushed and panting, started to calm down. Her next sentence rung with hollow defeat. "Unfortunately, the decision has already been made."

"The decision to do what?"

She waved away my question. "I am getting to that part, just be patient." Clearing her throat, she continued on in her trademarked ominous voice. "While my sons' fate was sealed the moment that I left, your fate has been decided by your dragon... the moment that he hatched for you. Whether you like it or not, Alagasia's well-being rests in your hands. You may want to know what my sons have to do with this. They have been chosen as well, but have been manipulated to fight for different causes, and alas, have been conditioned to hate each other. That is where you come in.

"As you know, you are a Dragon Rider. It so happens that you are the last one that is lucky enough to be considered neutral in the war, since your presence is still not known to either side. Dragons and their riders are bound to Alagasia. Therefore, as much as I hate saying this, you have a responsibility to keep it safe. That means getting yourself involved in a war that, until recently, was not yours to fight. There is no choice in the matter," Selena concluded matter of factly. She sat back, evidently satisfied with her speech.

I, on the other hand, was the exact opposite of satisfied. In fact, I felt the need to have Selena repeat it multiple times so that my brain could register what was going on. I didn't want to get her started again though, so I just ended up gaping stupidly at her. She waited patiently for me to absorb the new information.

"So... you're telling me that you got all of that just by having a few _dreams," _I managed to choke out.

"Yes," she said smugly. "You would have been able to piece that together too, if you had listened to what I have been saying all this time."

"It's not my fault that you didn't make any sense," I muttered darkly.

"But, you understand my point?"

"Yeah, I guess," I grumbled, grudgingly. "But where do I start? I... I don't know what to do! You tell me that I have no choice in the matter, that this role was already chosen for me, but there should always be a choice, right? Why should I be forced to save the other Riders from slavery if that would make me a slave to myself? A... slave to freedom...Isn't that some sort of conflict of interest? A paradox?"

I was ready to say more, but Selena was chuckling at something. "Always the little eloquent, aren't we? I have a feeling that your sharp tongue will achieve much for your cause, if you can remember to hold it when necessary. As for where to start, I suggest getting some sleep. Nothing more can be accomplished tonight."

I agreed, suddenly feeling like I could pass out right then and there. "Selena, do you mind," I mumbled, sounding young.

"Of course not, Kiara," she told me kindly, pulling the covers up by my shoulders. She patted the top of my head. "Just like old times," she whispered. The mattress wilted as the dragon invited itself up, then sprang back with a small squeak. The dragon was growing bigger each day, and would soon be too large for being in the habit of curling up on a bed, but it still seemed to be able to find enough space for its comfort. It then promptly fell asleep within seconds.

I followed its example and, for the first time in days, felt secure enough to give myself over to the mercy of dreams.

_Sleep...safe,_ a voice echoed in my conscious.

_You aswell, _I replied drowsily, too far gone to realize that the owner of the voice wasn't Selena.

* * *

The days that followed passed in a blur of hasty preparations and just spending time together. Everyone had their own jobs and schedules during the day - Selena mapped out various routes, Ailith was in charge of provisions, Dune helped the dragon with its vocabulary (which was actually just a way to keep him entertained while we worked, since the dragon didn't need much help) while my only instruction was to read "The History of..." multiple times over until I had it memorized - and at night, we made sure not to miss out on each others company.

Dune was the one that I was most worried about. Today he seemed fine, as he was currently attempting to teach a very irritated dragon how to finger paint, but I couldn't help but fret about what would happen when I had to go to Alagasia. I didn't have the guts to tell him yet, for obvious reasons; although I knew that time was quickly ticking away. He just seemed so happy to have everyone back to normal, it would be cruel to tell him otherwise. As far as he was concerned, all of our problems had been fixed. In his eyes, we were content. Selena was fully present again, Ailith had stopped reading self-help books, and I wasn't "grumpy" anymore. I had even caught myself singing a few times.

_Ahh...true happiness,_ I thought sarcastically.

_Could be... worse,_ advised the dragon from across the room as he dipped a gleaming claw into the cup of red paint. His mental voice had matured to a rolling baritone, giving me enough confidence to refer to him as a male, instead of just 'it'. He had also grown drastically over the course of the week, leaving him the approximate size of a large dog.

_You're right. As usual,_ I replied gravely. He snorted, shooting out a small puff of smoke from his nostrils._ You know Selena doesn't like you doing that in the house._

_Selena is not here,_ he replied lazily, producing a larger quantity of smoke than before. This caused Dune to look up from his painting. His blue eyes widened in alarm as the room began to cloud over with the billowing haze.

"Oh," he exclaimed. "Oh, no, you...you can't do that! Bad dragon!"

_Bad dragon,_ the dragon mimicked in endearment, a smile in his voice.

_You're so spoiled, _I jokingly chastised him. _You should apologize. _Even from where I was sitting, I could see him rolling his frosty grey eyes. Taking self assured steps up to Dune, he stopped in front of him and rested his head on the boy's lap, trying his hardest to look cute. Dune giggled and patted the scales on the dragon's snout, leaving traces of paint down the creature's face.

_Not funny,_ he growled in response to my mocking thoughts. _You try being treated like a house pet for months and see what happens. _

_ It is too funny. _Suddenly, the dragon's head swivelled around in my direction, and his top lip curled menacingly. I just laughed. It was amazing to me how much he had taken towards the little boy. He really had a soft spot for him. I was giddy with relief knowing that Dune was safe, that the dragon cared for him like a kid brother, even if he would never admit it.

_You just wait until he starts playing dress up with you! _

_Read your book,_ the dragon dismissed, taking some time away from Dune to halfheartedly blow some smoke in my direction. I waved the fumes from my face and threw a disappointed look at my so-called dragon. _I love you, _he added cheekily, departing with a care-free flick of his tail.

I shoved my face into the Alagasia book, muttering incoherently about ungrateful, lazy, pampered pets.

_Chapter 3: Dragons_

_"T__he dragons of Alagasia are reptilian in appearance, having lustrous scales, longs claws, fearsome teeth, sharp spikes protruding from their spine and, of course, huge, bat-like wings. Dragons range in many different colors, all individual and unique. It is unclear how their colors are determined, but the dragon will undoubtedly adopt the same color of the egg that they were hatched from. A dragon hatchling is roughly the size of a house cat, growing rapidly in the first few weeks, but not being able to produce a flame until it's twelfth month. Throughout their life, dragons never really stop growing, and are immortal unless wounded in battle, or succumb to sickness. _

_ Intelligent and proud, Dragons are sentient beings and should never be assumed to be "J__ust an animal". They are quick witted, and also quick to anger. These magnificent creatures are lords of the skies, patrolling Alagasia. Hard-working and diligent -"_

"Ha," I burst out. I had been chuckling all through the last paragraph and couldn't read any more about how "hard-working" dragons were. Coming back to reality, I looked up and saw that Ailith and Selena had come home, and were now looking at me with peculiar expressions. In fact, the whole room was silent, everyone watching me. "Uh, sorry, the- uh, author is a real joker... really hilarious." I scratched the silver mark on my palm nervously. "As you were."

"Actually, we were just about to interrupt your reading anyways," said Ailith sheepishly. "We've got an important decision to make that involves you."

"Okay, what would that be?"

The dragon came towards me, his intense eyes only inches away and completely level with mine. We stared at each other for a long while, not angrily, but in a way that made me extremely aware of the connection that we shared. The air around us was charged with a electrical quality, almost like it had been when I had first touched the egg.

_We've decided it is time that I had a name._

_

* * *

_**Whew! Long chapter! I apologize if there are more spelling mistakes than usual; something odd happened when I uplaoded this today.  
**

**I just wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed so far, it really makes the whole writing experience that much more gratifying! **

**Also, if you haven't reviewed yet, what are you waiting for? I would love to hear your opinion!**

**Have a great weekend! (Or Thanksgiving weekend) depending on were you live :P  
**


	7. Freedom's the Name, Sarcasm's the Game

**Chapter 7: Freedom's the Name, Sarcasm's the Game**

"Okay, well if you don't like Valumer, how about Lycus?"

_Where are you getting these names from? You need a new source,_ said a still nameless dragon, projecting his thoughts so that the whole room could hear his rejections.

_ "_I don't see anything wrong with the ones we're coming up with," I sniffed indignantly. "Besides, Valumer is a nice name. It means _noble future_!"

_So I am to be named after the pursuit of the future? Never feeling successful in the present, but always reaching for a an unachievable goal? I think not!_

"This is all hypothetical," I said as calmly as I could. "Just because your name means something, doesn't mean that it turns you into that something! My name, Kiara Louvel, means 'Dark Wolf' but do you see me running around on all fours and howling at the moon?"

_ But a name is a word used to refer to a being, is it not? A name is something that describes that being. I do not want my name meaning something that I am not. _

"Well, we aren't getting anywhere," sighed Ailith. She was right. Three hours of tossing names around and we hadn't come across one that the dragon liked. I had given my approval to Aradace, Eroese, Nebal and most recently, Kismet, but the dragon still refused everything.

"I think he should be called Hope, because that was what we called his egg," stated Dune, nodding eagerly at his idea.

"Might as well just call him Stubborn, or Lazy. Oh, how about Self Righteous!"

_That means that I can call you Emotional. _

"You know, I'm really liking Pigeon Brain!"

"For Dragon and Rider, you two argue way too much," intervened Ailith again, looking tired and annoyed at the same time. She glared at us for a minute, then stood up and said, "I'm going to go get Selena, she probably knows a few names that we could use."

_That's the best suggestion I've heard all day. _W_ere has she gone, anyways?_

"She probably knew how disastrous this would be and decided it was a conversation that she didn't need to get involved in," I said in an offhand voice.

"Or, she went to buy some more food for Pigeon Brain here." Selena's voice drifted into the room a second before her body did. Her arms were piled high with paper wrapped chunks of meat as she walked carefully toward the kitchen counter.

_Now how come that name sounds so much nicer when you say it, _the dragon mused sarcastically.

Ailith, who was already standing, rushed to help Selena unpack. I stood too, glad for an excuse to leave the conversation, but she had already beaten me there. I sat back down awkwardly, staring out the big window.

_She told me that this is the last time she's shopping for you,_ I warned him mentally. _You've been coddled for too long. _

_ So have you._

I sighed. _Right. And in a few more weeks we'll be living in unexplored wilderness. It's been months since I've done anything useful! I don't think I even remember how to scavenge for resources, __let alone build a fire. _

_ We'll deal with that when it comes. _

"So, I'm guessing the quest for a name has been unsuccessful,"said Selena, taking a seat beside me.

"Understatement," muttered Ailith as she leaned across the counter. "Puff the Narcissistic Dragon doesn't have a clue what he wants, so that also means that we've been left with nothing to work with. Honestly, it would just be so much easier if he just named himself."

_It would help if you actually picked __**meaningful**__ names instead of flamboyant ones. _

"How about you three take a break and we'll come back to this later," suggested Selena, a sympathetic smile tugging on her lips. She turned and pointed a finger at the lethargic creature curled up on the floor. "And Dragon, this is the last of the meat that I'm buying for you, so ration it wisely."

_Of course,_ he purred innocently, eyes half closed.

The room slowly emptied as Ailith and Dune retreated into the library. I twiddled my thumbs irritatedly, trying to phrase the question tugging on my consciousness. Selena leaned over in her chair eagerly, probably knowing what I was going to ask.

"The time is getting closer, isn't it?"

"Tomorrow," she agreed, nodded gravely.

_Tomorrow?_

"Tomorrow, then," I sighed. "Can't. Wait."

"You should go down to the Trench tonight," she said. "I have a feeling that you've got some heavy goodbyes to make."

"That wouldn't matter," I chuckled. "We've been held hostage here for more than a month. We've probably been proclaimed dead."

"Brendan knows that I've been keeping you," Selena said, smiling. Suddenly she burst into laughter. "You honestly thought that I would let him suffer this long, waiting for his little sister and brother to come back, without telling him anything?"

I couldn't help but smile too, relieved that he knew Dune and I were alright. "Wouldn't be the first time you've withheld information."

* * *

Ailith came down to the Sinkhole Market with me for moral support. The sun had just set, but – unlike all the upper-class shops on the Mesa – the booths down here would still be open long into the night.

"I almost forgot what mud looked like," Ailith said, a hint of humor in her voice. Her blonde curls were pulled into a neat bun on top of her head.

As I looked around the rows of vendor booths, tended by rough looking sellers, it occurred to me just how much we had changed. Two young girls, raised as survivors, living in small houses, the pain of hunger our constant companion. And yet here we were, looking out at our childhood town, dressed in expensive clothing, our fingernails clean from a lack of work and our conditioning still not as seamless as an Upper.

Not only were we strangers on the Mesa, now we were strangers here too.

_Tomorrow, _I thought._ Tomorrow that will change. _

"We should buy things," I decided. "Lots of things."

"How much do we have?"

I swung my pack around and pawed around for some coin. "Uh, enough to buyout three stalls worth of goods!"

"Whew, it's a lucky day to be a stall vender," she laughed, taking a handful of coins from me.

Brendan wasn't really around while I was growing up – not because he was a bad brother. In fact, he took his role in taking care of us as seriously as a sixteen year old boy could – because he got multiple jobs in order to pay for our food and clothes. He was always working. Always worrying.

I hoped that Selena would help him raise Dune when I was gone.

After we had spread some fortune around the town, Ailith and I found ourselves outside my house – or shed. Part of me hoped that Brendan would still be at work, staying late for the night shift as usual, but then the more sentimental part of me realized that this could be the last time I ever see him.

My sentimental side won out, and I knocked lightly on the wooden door, only hesitating a brief second.

It swung open with a soft creak, revealing a shaggy haired man with lively eyes and an unshaven chin. Still the same brother, if not a bit more tired looking.

"I think you ladies have the wrong house," he said politely. Ailith and I were just about to share our trademarked confused glance, when Brendan did a double take. His jaw dropped. "Kiara," he whispered, his eyes watering.

"Hi," I said timidly, fluent as always.

He stepped away from the door in silence, and we shuffled in awkwardly. Brendan still didn't seem in control of his words yet, so it was absolutely quiet as he gestured for us to sit down on the couch.

"Dune," he asked finally, the concern in his voice obvious.

"He's with Selena," I confirmed. Brendan and I never did have the most outspoken conversations, but tonight he was uncharacteristically talkative.

"She wouldn't tell me why you have to go. She just came up to me at the market one day and told me that you would be leaving soon." He snorted a laugh. "Said you were going to save the world. I never doubted it for a minute."

I rolled my eyes. "Glad one of us has such faith in me."

"Everyone gets scared, Kiara, especially when such responsibility seems to come out of thin air and drop on your shoulders... I," he paused and took a shaky breath. "I was scared when our parents died. I didn't know how to take care of myself let alone two younger children."

"Did you run," I asked quietly, feeling my cheeks flame.

"Yes," he replied. "I think everyone does at first. They try to reject the things that happen to them that aren't their choice."

_There's always a choice._

"You could have left us, you know. Could have gone to school."

"No," he said. "I'm better off than I would have been because I fulfilled my purpose; raising you. I had to raise you so that you could save the world," he smiled proudly at me.

"I'm not running anymore," I told him urgently. It seemed extremely important that he knew this. "I am scared, but I'm going to do what I have to."

He nodded. "Then you'll need this," he said, bending down and lifting a floorboard near his feet. His hand disappeared inside the ground for a second, then reappeared with a rectangular wooden case.

He held it out to me.

The case was about a foot long, and covered with dark lettering. Ailith leaned in closer to see it, a curious look on her face.

_"It is from being responsible that one can learn the true value of Freedom."_

"What is it? A giant fortune cookie," she wondered out loud, tracing the letters with her index finger.

"Freedom is capitalized," I said. "Like it's a name or a place."

"Or a state of mind," Brendan added helpfully. "Open it."

Eagerly, I undid the two clasps on either end of the case. Gingerly, I placed my hand on the side, and lifted to top.

Inside, laying on a pillow of brown leather, was the most deadly dagger I had ever seen. It's hilt looked like two different types of wood had been twisted together to make a spiral design. The blade had been polished until it shone. But the coolest, and scariest, part of this dagger was that it widened just before the tip, to create a sort of fatal barb at the end.

It wasn't the initial stab that would kill, it was when the blade was pulled out that it would do the real damage.

As if my morals would ever let me kill something.

"Brendan, I can't take this," I said.

"I'm not letting my little sister go out into the wilderness without a proper defense."

_Better not tell that to the dragon,_ I thought dryly. "No, seriously, I can't...I won't!"

"Take it, Kiara," he said. "If not for a weapon, then take it as a reminder of home. It belonged to Father."

A lump formed in my throat. We never talked about our parents, let alone the inheritance that they left us. I didn't even know we _had_ anything left to remember them by. I felt my hands tighten on the box.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice breaking.

"Don't loose it," he warned me. "I'll be wanting it back after you save the world."

* * *

It was very late when we returned, but Selena was still awake. She was curled up in front of the big window with a candle beside her, looking thoughtfully out into the sky.

"You'll have to leave early tomorrow," she said without turning, as if she had sensed my approach. "So you don't have to saw any more goodbyes. I know how tough that is."

She was talking about Dune and Ailith. I hoped she knew how much I would miss her too.

"Will this be the last time we ever see each other," I whispered, not really expecting an answer.

As always, she gave me one anyways. "Yes," she said drowsily. "But not the last time we will talk to each other."

Her and her riddles. Instead of calling her out on her half-answer, I asked another question. "What is freedom in the Ancient Language?"

"You should have learned that from your studies," she said. Then, because she always had to answer my questions in some small way, she sighed. "There are many variations of freedom, as there are many different contexts in which one can be free... But, I think the word that you are looking for is _Thanack_."

I could feel that the dragon was still awake downstairs. Our link had strengthened so that I could have even contacted him from Sinkhole if there was a need.

_Thenack,_ I asked him cautiously. It was a good name, and it had what he wanted; it had meaning. And not just a meaning, but it was _our _meaning. Something that we would be fighting for as soon as we headed out the door tomorrow morning. I could feel him thinking it over, trying to any faults with the title.

_Yes,_ he decided after a while. _I will be Freedom._

* * *

**A/N: Long time, no update! **

**Sorry guys, I've sat down so many times to write this chapter, but I could never seem to get the words flowing. Maybe I just needed to let it simmer for a while. **

**Anyways, summer's here and hopefully I'll be updating more often. :P  
**


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